Sunday, May 10th, 2015

Keeper Cox Again Top Scores As County Are Bowled Out At Edgbaston

Keeper Cox Again Top Scores As County Are Bowled Out At Edgbaston

Ben Cox top-scored for Worcestershire for the third successive innings as they were bowled out for 149 on the second day of the LV = County Championship clash with local rivals Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

The county wicket-keeper made 45 from 72 deliveries with five boundaries as he continued the good form which had brought him scores of 48 not out against Sussex at Hove and a career best 109 against Somerset at New Road.

Cox shared in stands of 44 for the sixth wicket with Tom Fell (36) and 39 for the seventh wicket with six wicket hero Joe Leach (18).

They were the main contributors as Worcestershire were bowled out in 42.5 overs – 115 runs behind Warwickshire on first innings.

Leach registered career-best bowling figures of 6-79 from 27 overs as Worcestershire quickly wrapped up the Warwickshire first innings for 264.

It surpassed Leach's previous best performance of 5-36 against Kent at Tunbridge Wells last season.

Charlie Morris followed up his career best match figures of 9-109 against Somerset with 3-79 off 27 overs.

Warwickshire resumed on 258-8 from 96 overs and Morris made the first breakthrough when Keith Barker edged through to Cox after making 21.

Cox then pulled off a spectacular catch high to his right to dismiss Chris Wright for 16 and give Leach his sixth wicket.

Worcestershire ran into early trouble against the new ball attack of Barker and Wright.

But skipper Daryl Mitchell can consider himself desperately unfortunate to be the first wicket to fall after making a single.

Richard Oliver straight drove Wright in powerful fashion but the bowler deflected the ball onto the stumps at the non striker's end with Mitchell out of his ground.

Moeen Ali (1) was adjudged lbw against Wright who then had Oliver (13) caught at point by Ian Westwood.

Alex Gidman (0) was undone by an inswinging Barker yorker and bowled.

Alexei Kervezee got off the mark first ball with a boundary off Barker and leg glanced the same bowler for another four.

But after making nine he edged Barker through to Ian Porterfield at third slip with the total 49-5.

Fell, a century-maker batting at number four against Yorkshire, looked in good nick as he and Cox set about leading a recovery.

They advanced the total to 93 before Fell departed to a good low catch by Rikki Clarke at second slip off Wright.

Leach decided attack was the best form of defence and hit four boundaries in the space of eight deliveries – three of them in one over from Wright.

He made 18 before cutting Barker into the hands of substitute fielder Tom Lewis at point.

Cox's fine knock ended in the next over – the 36th – when he was adjudged lbw to Clarke who then had Jack Shantry (2) caught behind.

The innings ended – and led to tea being taken – when Sachithra Senanayake (15) nicked Boyd Rankin through to Ambrose who knocked the ball up to Varun Chopra at slip.

Barker finished with 3-43, Wright 3-60 and Clarke 2-15.